COLUMNIST: KATIE REYNOLDS
Whether it be country or urban, formal or informal, here are a number of different ways that you can incorporate some topiary into your own garden design.
This is the classic use of topiary, two pots either side of the door with either half standards, cones, or spheres. It creates a welcoming feel and is a good choice if you have gravel or paving at the front of your house as it softens the hard landscaping without the expense or effort of creating new flowerbeds. If it feels too formal for you, plant some annuals or trailing plants around the base of the shrub to give a more relaxed tone or to add a splash of colour. Outdoor fairy lights can be added at Christmas time to bring a bit of sparkle!
Good garden design creates defined areas within an outdoor space, whilst still maintaining cohesion so that one zone flows into another. Using topiary is an effective way to mark the transition between areas without blocking views. For example, a row of topiary spheres draws the eye through the space whilst marking the perimeter of a seating area.
Repeat planting evergreen topiary provides rhythm through a border. In this column I always recommend that you repeat plant your perennials in a space, but using evergreen topiary takes this to the next level as it provides the rhythm and structure all year round. Even better is to use a taller standard or conical shape to add height and further interest.
A bed of grasses, perennials, and a looser style of planting can be enhanced with the use of topiary. Whilst this may seem contradictory, the structure and tight form of the topiary emphasises the contrasting fluidity of the grasses and perennials moving in the wind, more so than if it was just a bed of grasses and herbaceous perennials on their own. Depending on your size of bed, plant a few topiary shrubs randomly through the space and it will accompany the informal planting beautifully.
Topiary by definition is tightly clipping a perennial into any ornamental shape. The form can be as intricate or basic as your style and skills allow. I tend to use classic shapes so that the topiary enhances the planting around it, rather than being a feature in its own right, but that is my personal preference.
Cones, spheres, pyramids, and standards or half standards (effectively a lollipop shape) all work well. If you have a very exposed site, then beware of standards in pots as they are top heavy making them more susceptible to being knocked over in the wind.
Traditionally box, Buxus sempervirens, was popular, but the rapid spread of blight and the box tree caterpillar has meant that alternatives are now widely used. Yew, Taxus baccata, is another traditional choice which is hardy for our climate and works very well, though it can be quite costly.
Hebe rakaiensis is good for a spherical form and one of the hardier hebes for Scotland whilst Irish juniper, Juniperus communis ‘Hibernica’, is good for bringing height into a border.
For half standards I like to use holly, Ilex. Roses and Viburnum tinus also work well as their leaves are bigger so offer a slightly looser shape which works well for a softer look.
It is not just evergreen choices that can be used for topiary, deciduous trees and shrubs can also work well. Hornbeam, Carpinus betulus, is a good choice as is beech, Fagus, which keeps its leaves for most of the winter bringing colour and beautiful structure throughout the colder months.
Take the plunge and tackle some topiary!
Katie Reynolds Design is a garden and interior design studio for residential and commercial clients in Aberdeenshire and across the North East.
Katie works on a range of projects from city flats to country houses, public gardens to coastal properties. Follow Katie on Instagram and Facebook for or visit www.katiereynoldsdesign.co.uk to browse some of her recent projects.
